“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:1

What is a marriage based upon? Many erroneously think that love is the foundation of any true marriage. Furthermore, they erroneously define love as a feeling. It is there, mysteriously, and then, some months later it is gone and the plaintive cry goes up: “Alas, I don’t love him (or her) anymore.” So, what is there to do, but get a divorce?

A marriage is not based on any feeling of love. This feeling of love is like a mysterious bird of paradise. We do not know where it comes from, why it comes to some, and why it leaves. But this mysterious bird of paradise flaps its wings, floats down on two people and they are “in love.” It is a glorious, marvelous wonderful thing. And so they get married. Two years later, they wake up one morning and decide that the bird has flown away. No one knows why. It is utterly mysterious. But it is gone. So, they must get divorced and then wander through life, waiting and hoping that once more that bird will descend from the skies upon their hearts. That is the secular view of marriage. The consequences have been devastating.

A marriage is actually built upon commitment. Feelings come and go. Feelings of love can proceed from that commitment. But feelings are not the foundation of a stable marriage. Until we understand this, there is little chance that our marriage will succeed. Marriage is a lifetime commitment to another person: “‘til death do us part.”

Lord, give us strength to live out (if so called) a Christ-centered marriage and to champion monogamy in this twisted and perverse generation…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN SHOW
THE WORLD WHAT MARRIAGE SHOULD BE.

“Now you are the body of Christ and members individually.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:27

One of the great means of growth is Christian fellowship. We ought to know people who are holier than we are, and we ought to fellowship with them, and our life will be blessed by their presence.

And I hope that you get into a congregation where you can really get to know some other Christians. Remember the old axiom that birds of a feather flock together? This is true in the spiritual realm of spiritual birds as well. They flock together also. And I want to ask you who are the people with whom you spend time fellowshipping? Are they Christians or non-Christians? Whoever they are, they are saying a lot about you and what you are.

If they are Christians, are they more spiritual than you are? You know, sometimes people say, “Well, I can’t stand this holier-than-thou attitude.” Well, nobody likes a holier-than-thou attitude, but what most of these people know is that though that is repugnant, there is such a thing as a holier-than-thou fact. In case you don’t know it, there are a whole lot of people in some of our churches that are “holier-than-thou.”

Now you may think I am talking about you. I am talking about any one of us. Holier-than-I. Holier-than-thou fact is true, because sanctification is different in all. Some of us are at this stage. Some of us are at that stage. Do you have friends that you fellowship with that are more holy than you are? You should have. They will draw you upward and encourage you and build you up.

Lord, give me strength for today to build stronger relationships with those in the Body of Christ. Thank You for adopting me into the world’s largest family. Thank You that as iron sharpens iron, so we can learn from our brothers and sisters in You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE ALL PLAY
A PART IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.

“Therefore, everything you would like men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
— Matthew 7:12

Abraham Lincoln is everlasting in the memory of his countrymen. He was greatly influenced by the Scriptures. Read any of his speeches, and they virtually drip with the Word of God.

Many Americans actually think the quote, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” was Lincoln’s. Not so. Lincoln was simply quoting a Bible verse (Matthew 12:25), which his audience probably recognized. In the 19th century, Americans were far more biblically literate than we are today, unfortunately. Lincoln often studied the Bible and used Cruden’s Concordance as a study aid.

John G. Nicolay, Lincoln’s private secretary, said: “He praised the simplicity of the Gospels. He often declared that the Sermon on the Mount contained the essence of all law and justice, and that the Lord’s Prayer was the sublimest composition in human language.”

Earlier in his life, Lincoln was not a Christian. But later, after coping with the death of his son, it is reported that Lincoln came to believe in Jesus. He was planning to join the church on Easter Sunday 1865, but was shot on Good Friday.

Lincoln once received a cherished gift—the Holy Bible—given to him by a delegation of black Americans, on September 7, 1864. This is what he said at the time: “In regard to this great book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to men. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong.”

Oh Lord, raise up Christian statesmen and women in our time. Help us to elect good and righteous leaders to rule over us that we might dwell in liberty and peace…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE PRAY THAT
HE MAY TURN THIS LAND BACK TO HIM.

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”
— Psalm 119:11

God’s purpose is that we might grow into the stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ. First, we need to regularly read, study, and meditate on God’s Word. When we memorize His Word, when we hide it in our heart, that is the best defense against the onslaught of temptation. When was the last time you memorized a verse or passage of Scripture?

Secondly, there is the matter of prayer, as we go to God each day and confess our sins to Christ and ask for His forgiveness and express to Him our gratitude and love, to bring our petitions for whatever our needs may be, to intercede for other people. Such prayers as this should be on the lips of Christians every day.

Thirdly, God has given us the Church. God doesn’t need it. I hope you know that. God doesn’t need you. He doesn’t need me. We desperately need Him. He provided all of this for us, not for Himself (but for us), that we might be taught, and that we might grow and mature in the Christian faith. We will grow more in Christ if we avail ourselves of those special times when we really study the meat of God’s Word, e.g., Sunday night services, in-depth Bible studies, and on-line courses in the Word.

God wants us to progress in His Word. Then we will be “like a tree planted by the waters,” as described so well in Psalm 1. Our roots will grow deep. The vicissitudes of life will not upset us.

Lord, give me strength for today to spend time hiding Your Word in my heart. I praise You that You are the one who sanctifies me. Thank You that I’m not in charge of my own sanctification. Help me daily to seek You and study Your Word…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH AND BY HIS SPIRIT,
WE ARE SANCTIFIED.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man who was not wearing wedding garments.”
— Matthew 22:11

The Bible uses the symbol of clothing to teach us about righteousness. Jesus told a parable about a wedding feast where all were given the right robes to wear. But somehow a man slipped through who wasn’t dressed properly, and he was thrown out in disgrace. This symbolizes the difference between trusting in Christ or in self for salvation.

Remember that text in Genesis where it all began, that God, seeing the feeble attempts of Adam and Eve to clothe themselves with fig leaves to cover their shame and nakedness after their sin, killed several animals and made coats of skin for them. God clothed them—a foreshadowing of what would yet come. In Isaiah we read, “For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).

Isaiah also spoke about those who trust in their own righteousness. Their good works are described as filthy rags in God’s sight.

Many times I have talked to people about what their hopes of life eternal rested upon. So many of them say, “Well, I have done this and I have done that, and I have done the other thing.” They are looking for something about themselves that will make them acceptable. This astonishing statement in the Scripture, one that amazed Martin Luther and which puts the “amazing” into grace, says that, “His name shall be called Jehovah-Tsidkenu” —Jehovah is our righteousness.

Lord, give me strength for today to recognize that it is not by my righteousness, so-called, by which I may be saved. But rather it is through Christ’s finished work on the cross. Thank You, Jesus, that You are my righteousness…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE CAN LIVE GRACIOUSLY.

“Brothers, I could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to worldly, even as to babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with solid food. For to this day you were not able to endure it. Nor are you able now, for you are still worldly.”
— 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

At this point in their spiritual lives, the Corinthians should be consuming meat—but instead they are only drinking milk. They are babes in Christ.

It is God’s eternal intention for every one of us that we grow to maturity in Jesus Christ. How do we do that? First of all, through the Word of God. One of the ways you can tell if you are born anew is that as a newborn babe you desire the sincere milk of the Word. We are not talking a feeling. We are talking about the knowledge that we are in need of the Word.

May I ask you how much time did you spend in the Word this week? That will tell you whether you are a babe or mature, whether you are spiritual or carnal. Do you study the Word of God? Do you hide the Word of God in your heart? Do you meditate upon that Word in the night seasons? That is absolutely essential. Without it you cannot live. Deprive your newborn physical baby of milk, and that child will die. Our spiritual life desperately needs the milk of the Word that we may grow thereby, and as we grow stronger, we can then feed upon the meat. And you notice that Paul later lamented those that could only take milk. They should be taking strong meat. They should be teaching others, but they need to be taught the basic principles of Christianity all over again.

Lord, give me the strength to desire Your Word more. Help me to grow and mature in You. You are the one that causes growth and new leaves and fruit. Let me grow as long as I live…

IN GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE GROW AND MATURE.

“These six things the Lord hates…one who sows discord among brethren.”
— Proverbs 6:16, 19 NKJV

God hates it when people cause needless division. Tragically, such persons exist in many of our churches.

One such lady outed herself in an unusual story I heard around Halloween time. A man was going to a Halloween night party, and he was all dressed up in a devil’s suit. He had the whole thing with the horns and the tail and the red suit and everything. And he was driving his little car from one town to the next town where the costume party was going to be held. He ran out of gas, as a lightning storm was about to hit.

Seeing an old country church, he began to walk up the stairs, but hesitated about going in. All of a sudden there was CRASH, lightning struck right behind him and he leapt through the door. With smoke and lightning behind him, people turned around and they all saw the devil standing there.

It scared the daylights out of everybody and in a moment they were all through the windows except for one lady of generous proportions who was too big to get out. And finally she gave up and turned to him, saying, “Now, Mr. Devil, you know that I’ve been in this church for 45 years, and I’ve been on your side the whole time.” May God help us to have the wisdom with how to deal with those who sow discord among the brethren and to make sure we are not one of them.

Lord, give me strength for today to truly work together with those You have put in my life. Omniscient Lord, You see everything and You see our hearts. Let me not sow discord or division among believers. Give me discernment to test the spirits, to know what is of You…

IN GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE WILL BE UNIFIERS.

“We are writing these things to you so that our joy may be complete.”
— 1 John 1:4

When the king is in residence in his castle, they raise the flag to indicate that fact. One theologian said, “Joy is the flag which is raised over the citadel of the heart to indicate that the King is resident within.”  Joy is the flag.

Two workmen working in the street in front of a church were watching as the people filed in for Sunday morning service. One of them said to the other, “You know, I’ve seen a hundred or two hundred people go into that church, and I haven’t seen a single smile on any one of their faces.” That is tragic indeed.

The Gospel is a Gospel of joy, as well as of grace, peace, and love. At the birth of Christ, the angels said to the shepherds that they brought good tidings of great joy. Paul says in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy… It is the second fruit of the Spirit.

Are our lives typified by joy? In looking at some people’s faces you wouldn’t think that they had much joy. They seem often to frown and be sullen and unhappy and show little of the joy of Christ in their countenance. Some people seem like the only experience that they have had is an experience of acid indigestion, instead of the transforming wondrous joy of Jesus Christ. If you want to experience more joy, remember this simple formula: J-O-Y means Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last.

Lord, give me strength for today to put Jesus first and others second. God of joy, thank You for giving me so much joy all around me and joy within. Let Your joy overflow unto all the people  around me. Thank You for the joy of heaven…

IN GOD’S STRENGTH AND PRESENCE,
THERE IS FULLNESS OF JOY.

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
— John 13:35

Paul tells us in Philippians 1:27 that we are to live lives “worthy of the Gospel of Christ.” Included in that notion is that we are to live lives of love. Jesus even said that people will know that you belong to Him if you love one another. As Francis Schaeffer said, love for each other is “the mark of the Christian.” How will the world know we belong to Jesus? Because of our love.

Now it is easy to love the lovely, to love the loving, but God loves the God-haters and poured out His life for them. And so we are called upon to show that kind of a loving attitude toward people who may not be the type of persons that the ordinary individual would go out of his way to love.

Someone criticized a Christian leader with the remark that the church (in general) has a lot of kooks in it. The leader replied, “Well, I thank you for that compliment because I think it is true that the church has more of the unfortunate people that are handicapped and people that don’t get along well in many social situations than most any other voluntary associative organization. That is a wonderful compliment about the love of Christ being shown, where other people won’t put up with those kinds of people.” May God give us the grace to show more love, even to the unlovable.

God of love, give me strength for today that I may truly love Your bride, the church. Thank You for loving me. Let Your love so fill my heart that others may also benefit from it. Help me to be more like You and love the unlovable…

IN GOD’S STRENGTH AND BY HIS LOVE,
WE LOVE.

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
— John 14:27

The Gospel of Jesus brings peace to troubled hearts, and so those that are justified have a peace which passes all understanding. Therefore, there should be an element of serenity and peace in our lives that should be seen by others. I think of a description of a man who was described as seeming to float through life and no matter what kind of storms would rage about him as he would pass through them, it did not seem to impact him because he had a wondrous peace that was very attractive to those that saw him. Is your boat easily upset by the waves and the winds around you?  If so, I hope that you will remember that if your life is going to be consistent with the Gospel it should demonstrate peacefulness—the peace that passes understanding.

The Gospel is a Gospel that makes peace and reconciles people to God; that is the nature of our Gospel. It is a peace-making Gospel, and we are called upon to be peacemakers. Bill Elliott said that he has known church members that were much more easily identified as troublemakers than peacemakers, and I wonder about you. In your home are you the peacemaker?  In your office, or school or workplace, are you a peacemaker or a troublemaker?  Are you in church a peacemaker or a troublemaker?  Well, God grant that we may demonstrate His peace and also extend it to others.

God of peace, grant me Your peace today so that it will fill me and sustain me and flow out to others. Thank You for Your peace that sets our souls at rest…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE ARE PEACEFUL.